Congress recently approved a Trump administration in federal funding already allocated to local public media stations. The move has for public media outlets across the country, including 黑料新闻, which stands to lose about $2 million annually.
黑料新闻 President and CEO Mark Contreras said that while the organization isn鈥檛 in immediate peril, the decision presents a serious challenge.
鈥淔or us, that $2 million is about 10% of our total budget,鈥� Contreras said in an interview with 黑料新闻. 鈥淭here are stations across the country that get north of 70% of their budgets from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I think that鈥檚 an insurmountable challenge. Ten percent of our budget is a surmountable challenge.鈥�
Contingency plans
That challenge is one the organization has been planning for.
鈥淲e have to begin a process 鈥� and we have begun it prior to the vote, incidentally 鈥� to develop new ways of communicating with people, as well as new ways to generate revenue,鈥� he said.
Contreras says the organization has plans to launch additional fundraising campaigns focused on growing monthly donor support. He says the organization is also exploring ways to broaden philanthropic investment and deepen community partnerships.
One thing not in the plans, he said, is major changes to how consumers experience 黑料新闻.
鈥淚 think if you鈥檙e a listener or a viewer, you should see virtually the same offerings of local 黑料新闻 content that you see today,鈥� he said.
Addressing accusations of liberal bias
Some supporters of the funding cut argue that and doesn鈥檛 deserve taxpayer support. Contreras is among those .
鈥淲e are about as purple an organization as you can get,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ost of the topics we cover have to do with 黑料新闻 state and local issues. Those in most cases are neither red nor blue.鈥�
He added: 鈥淲e focus on the work that is core to our mission, which is serving the people of the state of 黑料新闻 鈥� Republicans, Democrats and independents 鈥� without fear or favor to anyone.鈥�
A call to become a member
Federal funding is not among 黑料新闻鈥檚 top three sources of income. Contreras identified those as membership, philanthropy and underwriting.
According to data compiled by 黑料新闻:
- Before the federal funding cuts, membership was 黑料新闻鈥檚 largest source of operating revenue, at about 33%.
- About 5% of 黑料新闻鈥檚 overall audience are members.
Contreras urged the 95% of 黑料新闻鈥檚 audience .
鈥淥ne of the most impactful things you can do, if you鈥檙e not already a member, is to become a member,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat is extra helpful is to become a sustaining member.鈥�
Sustainers could make the difference
A monthly sustaining member of 黑料新闻 commits to making an ongoing contribution of a specified amount with no predetermined end date. They authorize 黑料新闻 to automatically charge a fixed amount from their credit card or bank account on an ongoing basis.
Just under half of 黑料新闻鈥檚 members are sustainers, according to Lauren Komrosky, 黑料新闻鈥檚 chief digital officer.
鈥淚f every existing member 鈥� sustainers and annual donors 鈥� gave $13 a month or more, 黑料新闻 would cover the entire loss of funding this year,鈥� she said.
Contreras noted that member response in recent months has been encouraging.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had many members increase the amount that they contribute, as well as a number of new donors, which is to us an indication that the work our journalists do is valued by the public,鈥� he said.
The broader message
Contreras said the funding rollback spearheaded by the Trump administration sends a clear message.
鈥淚t sends a message that the many things that public media does 鈥� radio, television and other services 鈥� are not important from their point of view,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 beg to differ.鈥�
He emphasized the essential public safety role that public stations serve.
鈥淲hen there鈥檚 a tsunami coming in Alaska, or a tornado coming in Kansas, that鈥檚 also what public media delivers,鈥� he said.
Calling the rescission 鈥渟hort-sighted and ill-conceived,鈥� Contreras said he hopes lawmakers will eventually reverse course.
鈥淏ut we are where we are now, and we鈥檙e going to deal with reality square in the face,鈥� he said.
Looking ahead
Are there conversations at the national level, among NPR and PBS, about mounting a response to try to restore the funding? Or are there wealthy donors who might be interested in stepping in to bridge the funding gap?
Contreras is not aware of any specific plans. Conversations are complicated by the structure of the public media system, he said.
鈥淭he system 鈥� was set up in the mid-鈥�60s to have independently owned and operated stations all around the country,鈥� he explained. 鈥淓ach station is free to make its own programming decisions, staffing decisions and many other operational decisions.鈥�
While hopeful for eventual progress, Contreras acknowledged the road ahead won鈥檛 be simple.
鈥淭he coordination of efforts is going to take some doing to be able to get us back, hopefully, to where we were,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut as of today, I鈥檓 hopeful that something could be worked out.鈥�
黑料新闻 executives did not review this story before it was published.
